LIT3720 Group Prezi: Frankenstein, Never Let Me Go, & Blade Runner

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A Prezi Presentation by: Whitney Joan, Lyana Rodriguez, David Briceno, and Stephanie Jananiascience and technology, Isolation, identity, and the value of human life in Frankenstein, never let me go, and blade runnerThank you!Tick tock, tick tock...science and technologyscience and technology (continued)science and technologyisolation in blade runner identity in Frankensteinidentity in never let me go works cited:from science to humanityMary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go, and Blade Runner (directed by Ridley Scott), are on the surface only united by the simple fact that they are classified as sci-fi. However, in addition to this fact, all 3 also make an intriguing and philosophical transition within their respective narratives. They begin with a background in science and technology, they explore the effects of isolation, isolation is one of the factors that influences the taxing cultivation of identity, and they ultimately question and dissect the value of human life. It's these 4 themes that our Prezi will analyze more closely:Science and technologyIsolationIdentityThe value of human lifeisolation in never let me goisolation in Frankensteinidentity in blade runner1. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. London: Dover, 1994. Print. 2. Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. New York, NY: Random House, 2005. Print.3. Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Prod. Ridley Scott and Hampton Francher. By Hampton Francher and David Webb Peoples. Perf. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. Warner Bros., 1982. Film.

Images: 1. Knipfer, Cody. "Neutral Science, Irresponsible Scientists: Shelley’s Message about Knowledge in “Frankenstein”. A Really Cool Blog. Wordpress, 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.2. Heidi. "Never Let Me Go, Mark Romanek, 2010." NeXt: A Visualization of Science Fiction. NeXt: A Visualization of Science Fiction, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.3. Pickering, Chris. "Blade Re-Runner." Bit-tech. Bit-tech, 8 Nov. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.4. Acevedo, Karen. "From Victor Frankenstein Quotes." Quotes Gram. Quotes Gram, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.5. "Monsters Photo: Frankenstein's Monster." Fanpop. Fanpop, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.6. Kines, Mark Tapio. "Never Let Me Go." Cassava Films. Cassava Films, 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.7. AsianWiki Staff. "Never Let Me Go." AsianWiki. AsianWiki, 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.8. "Quite an Experience to Live in Fear, Isn’t It? That’s What It Is to Be a Slave." Tumblr. Tumblr, 29 June 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.9. Sciretta, Peter. "Blade Runner Sequel Director: Academy Award Nominee In Talks." Film RSS. Slash Film, 26 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.10. EcoD. "Awesome People Reading." Flickr. Yahoo!, 11 Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.11. "Carey Mulligan Gifs." Tumblr. Tumblr, 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.12. "Blade Runner/Rachael." Gif Day. Blogger, Sept. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.13. "Creature." Penny Dreadful Wikia. Penny Dreadful Wikia, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.14. Vlessing, Etan. "Original Replicant Joanna Cassidy Wants to Reprise 'Blade Runner' Role." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.Song: Gaze by Sub Pub Music from the album "Weighted Ground."what is human life worth in Frankenstein?what is human life worth in never let me go?what is human life worth in blade runner?WhitneyDavid (& Whitney)David (& Whitney)David (& Whitney)WhitneyWhitneyWhitneyStephanieStephanieStephanieLyanaIs time running out for humanity? What does it mean to be perceived as human and what are the consequences for not meeting the standards and expectations that qualify one as being human?The students at Hailsham are confined to the school and shielded from the rest of the world and not just physically.Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth are raised at Hailsham, a school severed from the rest of the world and though their purpose is hinted at, as children, it is never truly revealed or explained. As a result, they are obligated to rely on conspiracies and conjectures."You've been told and not told" (81) - Miss Lucy.Developmental arrest (sexual awakening with no terms or structure to define or understand it).Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth are separated from each other during their time at the cottages and Kathy in particular spends most of her days alone working as a carer, officially rendered solo following Tommy and Ruth's deaths.During their time at Hailsham and at the cottages, even when the relationship between the trio is strained, they function as a support system for each other and they grow and learn together, physically, emotionally, and mentally. So, letting go, in essence, means saying goodbye to the only other people who ever truly understood you and endured and lived through the same experiences you did.The Replicants, perceived as members of the Other, are ironically hunted and persecuted for performing their job too well.Consequently, the Replicants are unwillingly not only subjected to exploitation (slave labor), but they are also condemned for the very purpose for which they were created.Living in isolation, in Blade Runner, also entails the elimination of a sense of agency and autonomy and of a true or clear sense of identity.Isolation also seems to abound in the futuristic Los Angeles, a decaying and classed city (Rick Deckard, J. F. Sebastian, Rachael, etc).Victor Frankenstein voluntarily removes himself from the world.Victor strains his relationship with others and makes himself ill.Paranoia and fear consume him and death shadows him.Frankenstein's monster is, in stark contrast, exiled from society.The monster's isolation is one that is imposed on him, regardless of his desires, the amount of effort he makes, or how well he learns to adapt to society, its customs, and its languages. Regardless of what he does, he is always condemned simply because of his physical appearance.Some side effects of this are pain, rancor, loss, and death."I remembered that I was forever deprived of the delights that such beautiful creatures could bestow -- Can you wonder that such thoughts transported me with rage?" (103)Victor and the Creature work as foils, including in their ideas of the worth of human lives. Victor, despite having a privileged life, at first deems human life secondary or lesser if ambition is not met. The Creature, perhaps because of his hardships, centers his tragedy on never claiming the gifts human life affords. The crux of Hailsham's experiment lies in the soul through the expression of art. While the outside world measures the worth of the students' lives based on their artistic output, the students themselves base their own lives on art from the outside world. Examples: Kathy H.'s reliance on Judy Bridgewater and novels, Ruth's reliance on the ad. Most of the human characters find life unbearable in this dirty, polluted wasteland that makes up the city. In contrast, the Replicants want to live their own lives as much as possible, no matter how difficult it may seem or how impossible. LyanaLyanaBioengineering and Genetics are the central focus of Never Let Me Go, Frankenstein, and Blade Runner.Despite many of these stories seeming far-fetched, the exponential advancement of scientific knowledge and of technology will eventually catch up to the science in these stories:Cloning has been a hot topic since “Dollie’ and we are now able to clone organs. The cloning of human seems plausible but will now have to go through ethical debates.While reanimating a corpse is still a far way off, we have been able to keep organs functioning after they have expired.Robotics keep advancing every day, new programs are being taught morality, so AI does not seem that far off.The Science and technology presented in these stories push the boundaries of philosophical thought, opening up new discussions on morality and the very essence of life:Will clones have rights? Will they have a soul? What does it mean to have a soul?If we create synthetics/androids/cyborgs that look human, act human and feel like a human does, why should it not have the same rights we do? Why should it be used and exploited?Should we bring back the dead if we have to power to do so? Due to the fact that science is always ahead of the questions it begs, it wonders whether or not it could instead of whether or not it should.The science behind these stories isn’t always beneficial; it warns of the possible dangers of pushing boundaries:Frankenstein’s monster creates havoc and kills people.The androids in Blade Runner become self-aware and their survival instinct kicks in, killing those in their way.Cloning and Genetic Engineering bring to question the creation of a superior race of humans: why not better ourselves?123456789The difference in building identities from both Frankenstein and his monster. "I can hardly describe to you the effect of these books. They produced in me an infinity of new images and feelings that sometimes raised me to ecstasy, but more frequently sunk me into the lowest dejection" (91). Motif of Literature/Education in Frankenstein emphasizes this notion and this reality.Novels mentioned before this:Paradise LostPlutarch's LivesSorrows of Werter The differences between those novels and the books/studies Frankenstein read as a child.

The donors of Hailsham, in particular, have subtle self-identity.Kathy's P.O.V.Motif of artCollections"...the first time you glimpse yourself through the eyes of a person [Madame] like that, it's a cold moment. It's like walking past a mirror you've walked past every day of your life, and suddenly it shows you something else, something troubling and strange" (36).Foreshadowing Duality of "mirror" (perception and self-perception)Blade Runner focuses on the self-identity of not the humans, per se, but of the Replicants. Rachael:Artificial memories define her. Roy :Defies his original purpose and identity. 1011121314